In the newest example of the NFL’s eagerness to take money from the gambling industry, NFL-themed slot machines are set to hit casinos at the start of the upcoming season.
The NFL and Aristocrat Gaming have announced a deal that will have slot machines featuring all 32 teams’ logos in casinos across the country.
“The unveiling of the first NFL-themed slot machines represents an opportunity to bring the League closer to our fans in a new area,” said Joe Ruggiero, SVP of Consumer Products at the NFL. “We have valued collaborating with Aristocrat to bring their vision and responsible gaming resources to fans during the 2023 NFL season and beyond.”
For the vast majority of the NFL’s history, the league has attempted to distance itself from gambling, and the idea of an officially licensed NFL slot machine would have been unthinkable just a few years ago. But in recent years the league has decided that there’s too much money to be made in gambling for the NFL not to take its cut. Getting its cut will now include the NFL licensing slot machines with names like “Super Bowl Jackpots” and “Overtime Cash,” which gamblers can customize to show their favorite teams’ logos.
At the same time, the NFL cracks down on players who violate league gambling rules, and this offseason 10 players have been suspended for gambling.
The league talks a lot about “responsible gaming,” but it should go without saying that the reason slot machines are so profitable for casinos is that the people who play slot machines lose a lot of money on them. Sometimes, players lose more than they can afford to lose. For the NFL to make money off gambling, someone else has to be losing money.
